Roses and Feather
by Kage no Koji
Summary: Mike Zacharias did not always used to be man he was in the year 850. It took much to refine that love of humanity and the belief that they could succeed. It took the love of his wife and his children to really believe that humanity would prevail before his untimely death.


_**A/N: I have to say, Attack on Titan has become a new favorite of mine. The anime really hit it off for me, and now I've started reading the manga!**_

_**And in true fangirl fashion, I had an OC and felt the need to make a story with her. XD So here it is!**_

_**Just keep in mind that much of this is set before the fall of Wall Maria, and well before we see many of these characters in the manga/anime. So, there will be a lot of character development.**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Attack on Titan/ Shingeki no Kyojin**_

_**WARNING: VIOLENCE, GORE, TITANS, LANGUAGE, SEXUAL SITUATIONS AND OTHER STUFF**_

_**Roses and Feathers**_

_**Chapter One**_

_**Lend Your Strength**_

_**Year 828- The Accident**_

The stench that hung around the walls always made Mike's nose crinkle with disgust. It didn't matter how long he stood around. The smell of Titans and gunpowder always made him nauseous.  
However, there was no avoiding it today. Erwin was insisting that the two of them check on the Garrison postings along Wall Maria. Despite that they were from the Scouts, Erwin thought it raised morale to interact with the other soldiers. Nile seemed to agree with the notion, though Mike suspected it was just to check on his eccentric relative.  
They were now patrolling along the wall that protected the Huron district. Huron was sleepy, and one of the smaller districts. It boasted excellent land for farming and livestock, and was ideal for many soldiers of the Garrison.  
Mike looked over the edge of the Wall, his nose crinkling in disgust as he saw a Titan pawing at the Wall. It's great maw was open wide, eyes fixated on the soldiers milling above it.  
"Jesus, how do they stand having those things looking at them all the time?" He asked Erwin. His companion only gave him a shrug.  
"I would guess that it's like how we deal with the thought of being eaten by Titans every time we set foot outside the Wall." Erwin said. Mike rolled his eyes. He doubted the Garrison dealt with the same pressure as the Scouts did. They were almost as lazy as the MPs!  
The two came upon the person they had been looking for: an old hag of a woman by the name of Viola De Fillipis. She ran her section of the Wall like a tyrant. She was perhaps one of the few who actually cared if the soldiers were trained enough.  
"Pick up your feet! I'm not saving your sorry hide if you fall over the Wall!" She barked at a young recruit. They scurried away from her as fast as their legs could, even with a load of fake ammunition in their arms.  
"Well, I see someone is still cracking the whip." Erwin remarked in an amused tone as they drew close. Viola turned, her upper lip twitching as Erwin and Mike gave her prompt salutes.  
"What are you doing over here, you little brat?" She asked, smoothing out her tightly pinned silver hair.  
"Just stopping to see how my fellow soldiers are holding up under your boot." Erwin said, giving the hag a smile. Viola 'hmphed' and crossed her arms over her chest.  
"Nile sent you out here didn't he? Tell my brat of a nephew I'm not ready to keel over yet." Viola growled. Erwin chuckled.  
"Well of course Corporal." He assured her. Mike rolled his eyes. No wonder Nile was such a little shit.  
"What seems to be going on today, if I may ask?" Erwin asked, watching as the troops scurried to and fro across the Wall.  
"Loading, aiming, and firing the cannons accurately for long-range targets. This batch is hell to train." Viola said, lifting a whistle to her thin lips. With one short puff, her soldiers were brought to attention without hesitation.  
"Listen up maggots! Today we're going to use this fake ammunition to hit those Titans fifty meters out!" Viola boomed, pointing to the monstrous entities right outside the Wall.  
"In teams of three, I want you to load, aim and fire. Two will be loading the cannon with the proper amount of ammunition, and the third will aim. If you screw this up, guess who gets to run to the next district and back?!" Viola barked. The soldiers visibly gulped, nervously glancing at each other. That was at least 5 miles to the nearest district!  
"Group up and listen for my command! When you hear two blasts, start firing! If you here three or more whistle blasts or someone yelling to stop, STOP FIRING! Is that clear?" Viola asked, glaring at her soldiers. She was met with an echo of 'Yes Corporal!'.  
"Alright! In positions!" Viola cried, lifting one arm. The soldiers scrambled to their assigned cannons. Erwin had to admit that they were at least attentive and quick...a far cry from the other Garrison soldiers he had seen so far.  
FWEET FWEET!  
The soldiers sprung into action, clasping at the heavy fake artillery and hefting it into the gaping hole of the canon. Mike had to admit that they were doing a fair enough job. The teams worked efficiently, stuffing the cannon barrels with 'fake powder'. It was engineered to act like powder, but it was extremely volatile and tricky to use. Too much and it resulted it backlash. Too little, and it had the chance for a delayed reaction.  
It was why it was only used for training exercises and not combat.  
The first cannon fired, releasing an arc of black smoke as the shot streaked across the air. It exploded against the side of a Titan's head, but dispersed into a toxic plume of smoke. The Titan let loose a soft roar, rubbing the side of its face.  
A volley of fake shot followed, some landing in the ground short of their targets and others managing to hit the Titans themselves. Mike turned his blue-grey eyes to the canons, watching as the soldiers worked. He noticed that the barrels of the canons seemed worn, and seems lit up with every fire.  
BOOOOOOOMMM!  
Screams rent the air as fire filled the air, and soldiers scrambled away. Far down the wall, the remains of a ruined cannon sat aflame. Black scorch marks and blood stained the wall, while soldiers lay prone. Their screams of pain filled the air as they scrabbled at melting skin and burning clothes.  
"GET THAT FIRE OUT!" Viola screamed, vaulting herself across the Wall. The soldiers backed away from their canons, hurriedly snuffing lit fuses. A commotion arose as they took jackets to smother the fire, and pulled their comrades away from the remains of a still active canon.  
"Erwin! What do we do?" Mike asked, feeling useless. He knew nothing about what they would need to do in a canon accident... And he had never seen something like this happen before.  
"You two! Inform the nearest field hospital! We've got severe injuries!" Viola yelled to the two Scouts. There was something they could do!  
"Let's go Mike. The hospital is a straight drop into Huron." Erwin said, turning to find a tall building to swing from. Luckily, they were within distance of a large clock tower. But Mike wasn't listening.  
He was staring at the Wall, eyes locked onto the cable barely hanging in. It was one of the soldiers: a young woman who had been spotting for the canon. One cable was hanging by the tips of its claw, struggling to hold her body up.  
~Why isn't she moving?~ Mike thought, his brow creasing in worry. Her body hung motionless, lopsided in the air.  
But that wasn't the only problem.  
The Titan from earlier had taken notice of the commotion. With a low grumble, it began to slowly walk toward the hanging form of the soldier.  
"Hey! Wake up!" Mike yelled, running down the wall. He jumped over the abandoned cannons and soldiers trying to move the artillery away.  
"Wake up!" He yelled again, chest tightening with dread.  
The soldier twitched, lifting her aching head. She couldn't see past the blur of colors dancing in her vision. Blood filled her mouth in a coppery flood and bubbled past her lips. Her head felt like it was splitting open. She winced as sound assaulted her ringing ears.  
As the Titan drew closer, Mike couldn't waste anymore time. She wouldn't be able to lift herself up-not in time to avoid the Titan.  
"Damn it!" Mike cursed as he saw the Titan extend it's arm, fingers flexing eagerly. With a puff of smoke, his cables launched and dug into the Wall. He jumped over the edge, flying towards the vulnerable form of the soldier. He grit his teeth together, drawing his blades with a sharp sounding 'schnick'. Just as the Titans fingers were about to close around her limp leg, Mike's blades cut through the appendages like butter. The Titan paused, looking at the stumps on its hand as if in curiosity. This lapse in concentration let Mike swing past and grab the soldiers limp body. Her hook yanked from the Wall with little force, and allowed him to reach the top of the Wall with a burst of gas. He touched down upon the Wall, cables retracting with a hiss.  
Mike kneeled down, laying the soldier down as gently as he could. All he saw was seared flesh and blood dripping from torn swaths of tanned skin. She moaned, her eyes splitting apart to show hazy orbs.  
"Hey, what's your name?" Mike asked' trying to keep the soldier conscious. There was no telling if she would wake up again with all of this damage.  
"Nad...ya." She coughed, blood dribbling down past her stained lips.  
"Alright Nadya, stay awake for me." Mike said, looking up as Nadya's fellow soldiers came forward.  
"I got her. Go help your Corporal." Mike said, dismissing the Garrison soldiers. Without hesitation, they turned and ran back to Viola. Mike settled Nadya into his arms, standing up. She moaned, eyes fluttering.  
"Don't fall asleep yet." Mike said, looking down at Nadya's battered form. Getting her to the field hospital was the lest he could do.  
"Let me see your eyes a little longer."

**~TS~**

By the time the fire had been put out, the cannon was irreparably damaged and several soldiers injured, including Nadya. But for now, rain fell heavily upon Huron and the Wall outpost. Soldiers shuffled about, cleaning the wreckage from the disastrous accident under the supervision of Viola's trusted second in command: Lance-Corporal Cecil Marvene. Viola was in the field hospital, talking with the doctors and nurses. The most severe cases would be sent to the real hospitals inside Wall Rose.  
"Why are we still here?" Mike asked in an annoyed voice. He and Erwin were standing in a small space between crates of medical supplies, taking some shelter from the rain.  
"The MP's will be here soon to investigate the incident. Until then, we can stay and help Corporal De Fillipis." Erwin explained. Mike bit back the urge to make a comment about how eager Erwin was to appear helpful- luckily Viola approached them to void Mike the chance.  
Her face was drawn into a severe look, thin lips pursed and grey eyes narrowed. She wiped the last of the blood from hands on a towel, staining it a horrid pink color.  
"Well, thank the powers that it was only one cannon." She sighed.  
"How bad is it?" Erwin asked, frowning.  
"Six soldiers are going to be taken to Wall Rose, three will stay here, and one is going to a hospital in Wall Sina." Viola explained, tossing the towel away. Erwin raised one thick eyebrow in intrigue.  
"Why all the way to Wall Sina?" He asked.  
"Severe burns cover most of her body and I'm sure she's lost an eye out of it. At least she doesn't have the same amount of shrapnel damage as the rest of them." Viola sighed. She looked tired, and old for once.  
~She? I wonder if it's that same soldier I got off the Wall~ Mike briefly thought.  
"Speaking of that soldier, which one of you saved Kirsanov from becoming Titan chow?" Viola asked. Erwin glanced at Mike, a small smile playing at his lips. He gave Mike a friendly nudge in the ribs, but Mike knew Erwin was trying to get him hooked up. Why Erwin did it was a mystery to Mike. They were both happily bi (though Erwin drifted more to the men than women). Nevertheless, Mike stepped forward and cleared his throat.  
"That was me, ma'am." Mike said. Viola eyed him.  
"Alright. You two should stick around a while. And you-" she pointed at Mike, giving him a stiff look. "-will tell Kirsanov that you hauled her back up." Viola said in an annoyed tone.  
"Of course ma'am." Erwin and Mike echoed, though Mike sounded less than amused. From Viola's tone, he assumed that Nadya (that was her first name right?) was a stubborn soldier that tried to do everything themselves. While admirable, it was an annoying trait- especially among the Garrison. The Garrison valued teamwork and coordination.  
Viola left without so much as another word, presumably to check on her injured soldiers yet again.  
Mike turned and gave Erwin a glare. His thick browed companion only shrugged innocently.  
"What?" Erwin asked, as if he didn't know what he did.  
"You're an ass." Mike grumbled, sitting on a crate and splaying his legs out. Erwin only chuckled.

By the time the MP's showed up and Viola came back for Mike, it was well into the night. Lanterns lit the sprawling city of tents and crates that made up the Huron field hospital. The sky was dark and sullen, the moon hiding behind a thick sea of dark clouds. Not even the stars were shining.  
"Okay, Kirsanov is awake and coherent. The doctors suggest you go in and try to talk about the incident- there's some mumbo jumbo theory about people trusting their saviors or whatever." Viola said, stopping before a small partioned section. Mike could see several silhouettes through the thin white fabric. The smell of disinfectant and harsh medical chemicals was strong here, and made Mike's nose feel like it was burning. He blinked away the water building in his eyes, nose crinkling in disgust.  
"Third one on the right. Knock yourself out Scout boy." Viola said, slapping Mike on the back before turning and walking off to go and consult with the MP's. Mike rolled his eyes and stepped towards who he assumed was Nadya Kirsanov.  
When he turned the corner, he wasn't expecting an orange to collide with the side of his face. The world turned temporarily black and white as he stumbled back. He shook his head, rubbing the side of his forehead. There was definitely going to be a goose egg there later.  
"Sorry! I didn't see you coming around the corner!" A voice blurted out. Mike looked up, and saw the worst apologetic expression ever. Nadya was leaning back on her pillows, squinting through her good eye. Her uniform had been cut off and replaced with the starched white gowns used in the hospital. He could see the bandages wrapped around much of her body, stained a dark pink in places. Half of her hair, the color of spice brown, had been shaved off for easier access to the burns on the right side of her face. One bluebird colored eye was hidden by the layers of stained bandages.  
Yet, Mike could only see the barely concealed smirk on her pale lips.  
"Somehow I don't believe that." Mike said in a flat tone. Nadya only shrugged, tucking what was left of her hair behind her uncovered ear.  
"It's your story. Tell it like you want." She said. Mike rolled his eyes and tugged a chair over to her left side. He sat down in it with a heavy 'fwump', sighing. At least he was dry and out of the foggy air in here.  
"Do you know who I am?" Mike asked. Nadya gave him one sidelong glance and shrugged.  
"Not really. Actually, I don't remember much of what happened." She said, frowning.  
"What DO you remember?" Mike asked. Nadya's mouth pulled to one side, brow furrowed and eye narrowed.  
"Reina and Saul were loading the cannon... I remember thinking that there was a lot of powder in there. I heard it fire... And I think I remember falling...but after that. I can't tell you anything." Nadya sighed, leaning back into her pillows. Mike mulled over her words. It was possible that she would never regain the memories of what happened. So what was the use of bringing them back up? He could at least leave out the part where she was nearly plucked off the Wall like a cut of meat from the butcher and nearly eaten.  
"Well, you did fall over. At least you were smart enough to fire a cable into the Wall." Mike said, interlocking his fingers behind his head in a leisurely manner. Nadya rolled her eye.  
"Yay for me. I didn't fall to my death." She said. A moment of silence passed between them, punctured only by the moaning of her fellow injured soldiers.  
"So who pulled me up? There was no way I could have maneuvered myself up the Wall. I'm pretty sure I was unconscious that entire time." Nadya said, turning to look at Mike with a raised brow.  
"Must have been you if you're in here and no one from the Garrison is." Nadya said. A mild look of surprise crossed Mike's face. Nadya had some intelligence about her then.  
"Okay, yeah...I got you up from hanging on the Wall. It was the least I could do with Corporal De Fillipis trying to put the fire out." Mike explained.  
"There was a fire." Nadya said. It was a statement, not a question.  
"That means the cannon exploded from too much powder in the barrel." Nadya said, though it vaguely sounded like she was talking to herself.  
A moment passed and suddenly she lunged at Mike. She grabbed the front of his cloak tightly in her hands, ignoring the veins of red that started to spread along her bandages. Her one visible eye was wide with panic and fear. A late reaction to the real incident.  
"W-where's Reina and Saul? Tell me they didn't get hurt in the blast!" She demanded in a shaking voice, shaking Mike by his jacket. He grabbed her by the shoulders, though regretted it as she winced and fresh blood began to seep beneath his fingers.  
"Hey! Calm down." Mike said, trying to muster up the calmest tone of voice. He could see Nadya begin to shake, looking around wildly. It was just like surviving Scout soldiers after a rough expedition- he'd seen his own father wake up violently screaming in the night, calling for his friends even though they were dead.  
"Freaking out isn't going to help. Just...breathe." Mike said, trying to carefully maneuver Nadya back onto the cot. She had nearly dragged herself off.  
Nadya refused to relinquish her grip on Mike's coat, and he swore he could hear the seams ripping. He looked over his shoulder to call for a medic, but instead found the severe gaze of Viola looking at him. Something about the way her facial expression was set made Mike feel uneasy.  
Viola stepped forward, and glanced briefly at Nadya's panicked face.  
"You...may want to hold onto her. Make sure she won't hurt herself." Viola said in a low voice, just behind Mike's shoulder. Mike didn't want to hold tighter for fear of further injuring Nadya...but he feared that what Viola was about to say was not going to be good.  
"Private Kirsanov, I am here to report that the other two members of your team are...deceased." Viola began, a strangled cry leaving Nadya's mouth. She made to lunge towards Viola, but found Mike's broad shoulders blocking her way.  
"They suffered severe burns to much of their body, and shrapnel that could not be removed. They died at about 23-hundred. Myself, you, and several soldiers will be subject to a military tribunal to decide whether this accident was caused by dereliction of duty or due to faulty equipment." Viola said. She continued on with the monotone words, yet her voice was drowned by Nadya's accusing screams.  
Mike had only seen this from the family's of fallen Scouts...but for the Garrison, it had to be the same. Few of them would be lost, especially in these last few years. They would bond just as close as family...her grief was the same as a mother, a father, a sibling or child left behind.

Mike could not measure the time between Viola entering and when Nadya finally calmed down. All he could hear were strange words flung into the air as violent expletives, and felt angry fists collided against his chest.  
Despite this, Mike was steadfast. He knew this wouldn't be easy to overcome. And he knew it would be easier to let it out now, where she could only hurt him.  
When Nadya had finally subsided, it was the cold hours of the morning. She clung to Mike, his body bruised and ears ringing. His cloak and jacket was ripped, the seams popped and fabric shredded. But he didn't care. Not now at least.  
He wasn't the one suffering. The lest he could do was lend his strength.

_**A/N: Alright, so tell me what you think! Hopefully you guys stick around for the next chapter!**_

_**Flames will be used to heat Hell and Axel! :D**_

_**Next time: The Tribunal**_

_**As Coporal De Fillipis is tried, Mike and Erwin question whether or not the MP's have the truth behind the accident. When it seems that the Corporal may face death, Mike must encourage a distressed Nadya that she must testify. Will her words change the outcome, or will Nadya join her Corporal in front of a firing squad?**_


End file.
